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More tweaks to Common Core implementation could come next month, education officials say

John White Chas Roemer

BESE President Chas Roemer (left) and state Education Superintendent John White answer questions from lawmakers about the Common Core State Standards during a legislative hearing on Monday, Nov. 4, 2013.
(Lauren McGaughy, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

State education officials said Monday they will present plans to address how schools with technology shortfalls will undertake computerized teaching and testing tied to Common Core.

State Superintendent of Education John White and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education President Chas Roemer told a legislative hearing they have heard concerns that some schools, especially in rural areas, do not have the necessary technology to properly teach the controversial new language arts and math standards for K-12 students.

A "backup technology plan" for these schools will be presented at the December BESE board meeting, White said.

But even as the two acknowledged they wanted to do all they could to ensure every school's transition to the new standards was smooth, they also said some districts haven't done enough over the last five years to plan for Common Core's roll-out this fall.

"We're going to accommodate any district that's not ready. We've made that concession," Roemer told the meeting of state representatives on Monday. "But to suggest that school systems, at this point, haven't been able to properly provide technology, I think that's a falsity, I think that's a fallacy."

White agreed, saying the targeted 7:1 ratio of students to computers in the classroom "should be attainable." He reiterated that the state has taken steps to offer the necessary technology to schools in bulk, to save on costs, and some have not made steps to take advantage of that.

However, the "concession," as Roemer called it, to look at the question of technology needs represents another small win for those speaking out against the new standards. It comes on the heels of previous tweaks made last month to the way Common Core will continue to be implemented, including easing teacher evaluations.

While lawmakers assembled Monday disagreed on the efficacy of the new standards, each one criticized what they called a rocky transition.

State Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, arguably the legislative impetus behind the Common Core debate in recent months, is advocating for a full-blown halt to the roll-out. He clashed with the two education officials during Monday's meeting, requesting proof the standards will work in Louisiana and assurances student data won't be shared with federal agencies or private companies.

"I know I have to do something to get the parents in my district and the one in my house to get more comfortable with the material," Henry said, alluding to his intent to file legislation to block the continued implementation of the standards.

Others, like Democratic Caucus head John Bel Edwards, D-Amite, are asking the state Department of Education to ensure it's doing all it can to make the roll-out as smooth as possible.

He and Baton Rouge Democrat Patricia Haynes Smith were just two of the lawmakers Monday reiterating teachers' concerns that the implementation of Common Core has happened too quickly and with too little oversight and input from stakeholders.

"The whole implementation of Common Core is what's causing the chaos, not the standards," Smith said. She said she favors the idea of more rigor for students and doesn't agree with some, like Henry, that Common Core amounts to "federal intrusion" into state educational standards.

In response, White said he will present ideas at the December BESE board meeting on how to mitigate technology deficiencies. He also reminded lawmakers that the standards, unanimously approved by the Legislature in 2012, have been in the implementation stage for five years -- plenty of time for teachers and schools to get ready.

Calling the technology needs a mandate on schools, state Rep. Kenny Havard, R-Franklin, said the state should have spent an extra $500,000 to "buy all of the computers" needed for teaching and testing.

White responded by noting the issue with technology, and money available to
acquire it, goes back to a wider problem -- the way K-12 education is
funded in the state.

The state continues to spend $50 million a year on
textbooks that are largely "obsolete," he said: "if there were more money for public education, I think we would be the first ones in line to support it."